12 Years!

Year One 1997: We lived in a sad little apartment complex, cheap, and within biking distance to school. Our adventures included school, backpacking, rock climbing and Sunday dinners with family. Ha, and the great job I had that summer getting paid to sit and drink cocoa at HP.

Year Two: Trying to get into vet school (again), helping at Mimi and Grandad's in the evenings, Rogue Wave Software (we were the naughtiest telemarketers ever!) and we attended church at odd hours and in odd places on campus. Remember teaching Gospel Doctrine together. Lots of University ward friends and evening's together with the Newby's! Water skiing with your dad's fishing boat, Klamath river trip with my Dad, Hawaii...year two was a GOOD year!

Year Three: A close but no cigar encounter with Cornell, Ohio State and Colorado... then onto MASTER'S PROGRAMS...did we do anything else that year? We moved to Mimi and Grandad's house and prepared it for selling.

Year Four: Finished Master's programs, job hunted and substitute taught and then God smiled down on us and we moved to Boise!

Year Five: You would drop me off at Meridian MS in the morning on your way to work and pick me up afterward. Living with one car and double income was great! Not having any children yet, not so great. Getting car stolen out of parking spot, not so great again, but being together was the best.

Year Six: Work, work, work, and a vacation to Cour de lane. You taught primary and I taught in Young Women's. We hung out with our friends the Hunt's a lot. It was a good time.

Year Seven: We're pregnant! No we're not. Hey we're pregnant! Oh, no not again. Tough year, the saddest of our years together. Thank goodness for good friends and wonderful family. A move to our first house was a big change.

Year eight: Seven weeks into a school year and we had GAGE! After his heart surgery we just adapted to being a family of three and I started down the path of learning to be a stay at home mom, and you the dutiful husband.

Year nine: Airplane trips home to visit grandparents, promotions at work, play groups, lap time, and outings on the weekends. Making friends and enjoying our ward.

Year ten: Baby number two...how did THAT happen??? We're parents of two?

Year eleven: Settling into "family" life. I think we started to realize what settling down is. We learned a lot about enjoying the littlest of things, DQ blizzards, walks to the park, Sunday afternoon naps, watching the garden grow...but oh wait let's go on a cruise, do a sprint triathlon and vacation in Yellow Stone. I guess settling down hasn't hit completely...and hopefully won't.

Year Twelve: Another promotion at work made us think we could graduate to a bit more property and house with a few more rooms. Thank you economy, we'll stay right here for now. ..and what? Another baby! Who'd a thunk?

Life is good and you are so good to me. I love you Lans, thanks for a wonderful twelve years.